Emergency signs

Emergency signs are put in place in order to create order during a chaotic event. Their clear instructions and good placement can save lives, so it is important to design them properly. Along with fire signs, emergency signs are the most important signage a public place should have.

In regular everyday situations, people can calmly find their way out of a building, but things change when there is panic. With this in mind, it is important to make these signs visible and potentially to add lighting or luminescence to them so that they can be seen in the dark as well as during the day.

‘Emergency Exit’ signs need to clearly have the word ‘Exit’ written across the sign. The usual format is to have a green background with white writing or images. Often a picture is clearer, particularly for those that don’t speak the same language and placing the figure of a man running in a specific direction explains the situation faster. The signs can never be too clear, so if the exit is further away, arrows should be placed alongside the sign. Exit signs should also be placed directly over the door in question.

It should also be noted that there should be emergency signs specifying wheelchair access as well.